Spanish wines are renowned for their natural combination of old and new world wines.
As with the New World regions, the sunny central and southern regions produce fine wines with high ripeness.
But at the same time, wines from these regions also have some of the characteristics of Old World wines, such as a more prominent salty umami flavor and a better combination with food.
So for those who are used to old World or New World wine tastes and want to try a new style, Spanish wines are a good choice.
Here we take a look at Tempranillo, Spain’s most important native red grape variety.
Tempranillo has been cultivated in Spain for at least 200 years.
temprano means “early” in Spanish, and the suffix illo means “small”. Tempranillo is an early maturing variety, from which comes the name.
This grape variety has thick tannins, low acidity, and red and black fruit characters that resemble plum aromas.
The less ripe tempranillo has a more prominent red fruit character;
While the more mature tempranillo, its black fruit characteristics are more obvious.
Depending on the region and winemaker, Tempranillo wines vary in alcohol content, mostly between 12.5% and 15%.
In Spain, the three classic regions of Tamjiro are Rioja, Ribera del Duero and Toro.
The Rioja region in northern Spain has a high elevation and limestone soil.
Influenced by the Marine climate, the tempranillo produced here is elegant and almost perfect.
In ADDITION TO THE CONDENSED FLAVOR, THE BEST RIOjAS HAVE VERY PROMINENT red FRUIT characteristics, and when aged, the style is closer to the fine red wines of Burgundy.
However, there are other grape varieties grown in Rioja, such as Grenache, but the best are mainly made from tempranillo.
For aging, American oak is commonly used in Spanish wineries because it gives the wine more salty and umami flavor than French oak.
The top wines are the Gran Reserva, which should be aged in oak barrels for at least 2 years and in bottles for at least 3 years. Many of these wines will be aged longer.
The climate on the banks of the Duero River is suitable for grapes, which produce very rich wines.
In addition, vineyards at higher elevations with limestone soils can produce very elegant wines, while those at lower latitudes with clay gravel soils give wines a strong style.
As a result, local winemakers often mix the two to produce wines with complex layers.
Local winemakers use American oak barrels, but not as widely as Rioja.
Unlike Rioja, on the banks of the Duero River, some Bordeaux grape varieties (Merlot, Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon) are used to make wine and are therefore used by some top winemakers to blend wines.
In terms of price, the Duero Bank produces a large number of fine wines in a concise style, some of which are worthy of aging.
Of the three classic regions of Tempranillo, Toro is the hottest and its climate is the most similar to continental.
The wines are rich, dark fruit and affordable.
If New World (like California or Australia) wines are your thing, then Toro wines are the way to go in Spain.
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